The present invention relates to portable telephone apparatus such as a cellular phone and a PHS (Personal Handyphone System) terminal having the single button dialing feature.
For conventional portable telephone apparatus such as a portable telephone set and a PHS terminal, the user registers distant party telephone numbers in the electronic directory of the built-in storage in advance, and originates a call by retrieving a desired distant party telephone number by scroll-key.
Recently, portable telephone apparatus such as a portable telephone sets and a PHS terminal has spread among a wide range of users. For children in lower grades of an elementary school, it is convenient via portable telephone terminal to be able to easily make contact with a small number of specific distant parties, for example between children and their guardians, between children and their school or between children and nearby relatives such as their grandparents. For elderly,people also, it is convenient via portable telephone terminal to be able to easily make contact with a small number of specific distant parties.
The present invention is to provide a portable telephone apparatus whereby the user can originate a call without fail, via a simple operation, to a desired distant party among the pre-registered small number of distant parties, and control method thereof.
According to first aspect of the invention, a portable telephone apparatus is equipped with two or more single button dialing keys and that the user can originate a call to the distant party having the telephone number pre-registered for a single button dialing key by holding down the single button dialing key for at least a predetermined period. Via this configuration, it is possible to originate a call to a pre-registered distant party via a simple operation.
According to the second aspect of the invention, the portable telephone apparatus is equipped with the single button dialing keys provided on the external surface of an openable enclosure cover and in that the user can originate a call to the distant party having the pre-registered telephone number by operating the single button dialing key while the cover is closed. Via this configuration, it is possible to originate a call by using single button dialing keys while the cover is closed.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the portable telephone apparatus comprises an enclosure having a slidable cover, transmitter means, receiver means, radio communications means, key entry means, control means, storage means, and cover opening/closing state detecting means and that one or more operations to be performed when the slidable cover is opened or closed are stored in the storage means, in order for one or more operations stored in the storage means to be performed when the cover opening/closing state detecting means has detected closing of the cover from the open state or opening of the cover from the closed state. Via this configuration, it is possible to perform an operation pre-registered in storage means by simply opening or closing the slidable cover.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the control means makes control to reduce the volume of a ringing tone when the cover opening/closing state detecting means has detected opening of the sliding cover from the closed state. Via this configuration, it is possible to reduce ringing by opening the cover.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the control means makes control to illuminate display means when the cover opening/closing state detecting means has detected opening of the sliding cover from the closed state. Via this configuration, it is possible to illuminate the display means by opening the cover.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the control means makes control to perform call release operation when the cover opening/closing state detecting means has detected closing of the sliding cover from the open state. Via this configuration, it is possible to perform call release operation by closing the cover.
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the cover opening/closing state detecting means is composed of a combination of a lead switch and a magnet and that the magnet comes in close proximity to the lead switch to turn on/off the lead switch when the cover is closed. Via this configuration, it is possible to detect closing of the cover from the open state and opening of the cover from the closed state.
According to the eighth aspect of the invention, a control method for portable telephone apparatus in that an operation key which is pre-assigned an input signal is further assigned a single button dialing telephone number separately from said input signal, that said input signal is assumed to be input when said operation key is held down shorter than a predetermined period, and that a single button dialing instruction signal is assumed to be input when said operation key is held down longer than the predetermined period to originate a call to a pre-registered single button dialing telephone number. Via this configuration, it is possible to originate a call to a pre-registered distant party via a simple operation.
According to the ninth second aspect of the invention, a control method for portable telephone apparatus in that an operation key which is pre-assigned an input signal is further assigned a single button dialing telephone number separately from said input signal, that said input signal is assumed to be input when said operation key is held down shorter than a first predetermined period (T1), that a single button dialing instruction signal is assumed to be input when said operation key is held down longer than the first predetermined period (T1) to display a pre-registered single button dialing telephone number, and that a call is originated to the displayed single button dialing telephone number when a second predetermined period (T2) has elapsed after the elapse of said first predetermined period (T1). Via this configuration, it is possible to automatically display a registered single button dialing telephone number and to originate a call to the displayed single button dialing telephone number in a sequence, by the elapse of the period the operation key is held down.
According to the tenth aspect of the invention, a portable telephone apparatus controlled by the control method as mentioned above. Via this configuration, it is possible to provide portable telephone apparatus whereby it is possible to originate a call easily by using single button dialing keys.
According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, the control means comprises an enclosure having an openable cover, transmitter means, receiver means, radio communications means, key entry means, storage means, and display means, that said openable cover is equipped with a pressing area to press the key entry means provided on said enclosure from the cover surface, and that a call is originated to a pre-registered single button dialing telephone number by holding down an operation key to which the single button dialing telephone number is registered apart from said input signal, via said pressing area of the cover while the cover is closed. Via this configuration, it is possible to originate a call to a pre-registered single button dialing telephone number while the cover is closed.